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Sonoma County Vote Success Leads to Largest GMO Free Zone in US

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Submitted by Food Democracy Now on November 10, 2016 - 10:33am

Sonoma County in California has passed Measure M to ban GMO crop cultivation – YES 55.9% to NO 44.1%. The successful vote on Measure M, which took place on the same day as the U.S. presidential election, means that the largest ever U.S. GMO Free Zone has now been formed.

Sonoma County joins Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, Santa Cruz and Trinity Counties, and bridges the largest GMO Free Zone in the United States – an amazing 13,734 square miles.

The success of the vote came despite a concerted effort by the Biotech Industry to block Measure M. In October documents filed with the Sonoma County Clerk revealed that Biotech companies funded the committee named ‘No on M- Sponsored and Opposed by farmers, ranchers, and agricultural technology companies’.

Karen Hudson, Yes on M campaign manager stated; “The fact is, more and more people want non-GMO food, and our local farms have a right to grow without contamination. It’s that simple.”

Measure M, also known as The Sonoma County Transgenic Contamination Ordinance, was a simple measure to protect local farms, pastures, and cover crops from contamination by genetically modified plant pollen by prohibiting the growing and raising of genetically modified organisms in Sonoma County.

Sonoma County has a reputation for pure agricultural products. Organic and traditional farms that are non-GMO represent a critical sector of the local economy, with 80% of Sonoma County dairies being certified organic.